President Trump said he would release 'tapes' of their conversations if Comey 'leaked to the press'.

Former FBI Director James Comey, whose hugely controversial dismissal this week sent shock waves around the world, on Friday (12 May) declined an invitation from the Senate Intelligence Committee to testify in a closed session.

The timing of Comey's firing has also raised questions, especially after reports that days earlier Comey had asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein for more resources for the the bureau's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

A critical letter from Rosenstein was then cited as a recommendation in the president's letter dismissing Comey. The White House claimed that Trump sought guidance from the Department of Justice on what to do with Comey, but Trump himself then said in an interview that he would have fired Comey "regardless" for being him a "showboat".